Little Bones

(Paperback)

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Description

The breakthrough novel from acclaimed writer Janette Jenkins - a dark tale from Victorian London, of ghosts, the clang of prison gates, and what goes on behind closed doors... It's 1899 and a young girl is abandoned in London by her feckless family. She finds lodging and work assisting a doctor. But Jane Stretch is no ordinary girl, and Mr Swift is no ordinary doctor. Jane does her best to keep up with the doctor, her twisted bones throbbing, as they hurry past the markets, stage doors and side shows to appointments in certain boarding houses across town. The young actresses who live there have problems, and Mr Swift does what is required, calmly and discreetly. Grateful to her benefactor and his wife, Jane assists him and asks no questions - the desperate women not minding that it is a cripple girl who wipes their brows. When this unlikely pair becomes involved with Johnny Treble, a rakish music hall star, and the police come knocking, it seems that Jane's spell of good fortune is unlikely to last...

Reviews

One of the best storytellers at work today -- John Boyne
Jenkins writes with verve and colour, vividly bringing to life the dingy London streets... An entertainment as brilliant as the tinselly world of music hall at its heart -- Matthew Dennison * Express *
Compelling...a fine novel: the best kind of historical fiction. -- Judith Flanders * Times Literary Supplement *
A great read that moves swiftly along -- Alastair Mabbott * Herald *
Jenkins has perfectly encapsulated the dark, seedy streets of Victorian London, so anybody who enjoys reading fiction set in this period will not be disappointed -- Verity Butler * Nudge *

Author Bio

Born in Bolton in 1965, Janette Jenkins studied acting before completing a degree in Literature and Philosophy and then doing an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, where she was in Malcolm Bradbury's final class, along with Toby Litt, John Boyne, Richard Beard and Bo Fowler. She is the author of the novels, Columbus Day, Another Elvis Love Child and Angel of Brooklyn. Her short stories have appeared in newspapers and anthologies, including Stand Magazine, and have been broadcast on Radio 4. In 2003 she was awarded an Alumni Fellowship by the University of Bolton. She lives in the city of Durham.